In-car information system, in-car device, and information terminal

• US 9,288,665 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2014
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AutoNavigare LLC
• Original Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Inventors: Kato, Ryohei, Abe, Noriyuki, Nara, Norikazu, Suzuki, Hidetaka, Okamoto, Kimio
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US14/508,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20150024731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/2, 701/491, 705/7.15, 455/418, 340/438
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3688 Systems comprising multiple parts or multiple output devices (not client-server), e.g. detachable faceplates, key fobs or multiple output screens
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6083 by interfacing with the vehicle audio system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724098 Interfacing with an on-board device of a vehicle for hands-free speaking in vehicles H04M1/6075
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

An information terminal includes: an operation assignment information storage unit that stores operation assignment information; an actuation information reception unit that receives from an in-car device actuation information; an assignment unit that, on the basis of the operation assignment information and the actuation information, assigns some among a plurality of operations in the information terminal to each of one or more actuations among a plurality of types of actuation that can be inputted with an actuation unit provided to the in-car device respectively, according to priority levels; an actuation signal reception unit that receives an actuation signal outputted from the in-car device; and a conversion unit that, on the basis of the result of assignment by the assignment unit, converts the actuation signal into an operating command that corresponds to one among the plurality of operations.

Claims

1. An in-car information system comprising an information terminal and an in-car device that is connected to the information terminal so as to be capable of communicating with the information terminal, wherein:

a plurality of applications including a first application that is capable of starting corresponding to a type of the in-car device via an actuation unit provided to the in-car device and a second application that is incapable of starting via the actuation unit are stored in the information terminal;

the information terminal generates menu screen information for displaying an icon corresponding to the first application upon a display unit provided to the in-car device in a state that information for displaying an icon corresponding to the second application is not included in the menu screen information; and

the information terminal comprises a control unit that transmits the generated menu screen information to the in-car device and that executes the first application selected by an actuation of the actuation unit.

2. An in-car information system according to claim 1, wherein the actuation unit is configured by a touch panel.

3. A menu screen generation method for an in-car information system comprising an information terminal and an in-car device that is connected to the information terminal so as to be capable of communicating with the information terminal, comprising:

a step of determining a first application that is capable of starting corresponding to a type of the in-car device via an actuation unit provided to the in-car device from among a plurality of applications stored in the information terminal; and

a step of generating menu screen information for displaying an icon corresponding to the first application upon a display unit provided to the in-car device in a state that information for displaying an icon corresponding to a second application that is incapable of starting via the actuation unit is not included in the menu screen information.

4. A menu screen generation method according to claim 3, wherein the actuation unit is configured by a touch panel.

5. A menu screen generation method according to claim 3, wherein generation of the menu screen information is stopped after the first application is started via the actuation unit of the in-car device.

6. A menu screen generation method according to claim 3, wherein generation of the menu screen information is executed in a background of the information terminal or put into a state of sleeping after the first application is started via the actuation unit of the in-car device.